Put Your Hands Up
by TheTrickster'sFavoriteIllusion
Summary: Everything was so real. they had each others backs. Forever... Or until one of them blows it.
1. Chapter 1

**(AN: Hey guys, this was written by me and my fabulous friend/co-author, Amelia-Williams-Pond, a while ago... by hand. So now I'm typing it up while I'm on summer vacation. While I'm typing this I'm going to be taking a break from my other story 'The Hunter's Mark' because I have no clue what to do with it, so since this one is already done, I'm just gonna let my mind go blank while I type. After this one is typed up, I'm going to be typing up the sequel 'MadWorld', which is also finished and just needs to be typed up.)**

Chapter 1

The library was silent, save for the hum of the lights and the rustle of pages turning. She was the only one there, and they were late.

She sighed, leafing through another book. Research had never been her favorite part.

The door opened with a guest of wind that ruffled the pages and almost made her lose her place. Not a minute later, two men sat down at her table.

She glared across the table at them. "You're late."

The shorter of the two smirked. "Sorry, Sweetheart, there was a Tulpa that we had to take care of down in Tallahassee before coming down here."

"What have I said about calling me 'sweetheart', Dean?" She asked, her annoyance evident in her tone.

"That It's manly and endearing?"

"Sure, but I believe the term I used was 'don't'."

He chuckled. "You know you love it."

She shook her head, sighing, but it was good natured

The other man smiled slightly. "It's good to see you, Alyssa."

"You too, Sam." She responded.

"What, I don't get a hello?" Dean asked.

"You wasted it on 'sweetheart'." She smirked.

"Fine, be that way." He said as he grabbed the file that was sitting in front of her. "So what are we saving your pretty little ass from?"

"Not my ass, thanks. There's a hellhound running around, but the damn thing won't go anywhere near me."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Isn't avoiding a hellhound a good thing?"

"Yeah, just avoiding dogs in general is a good thing."

Alyssa rolled her eyes, "Dean, it's going after civilians."

"How many has it taken?" Sam asked.

"Four so far, and if it sticks with the pattern, another tonight."

"And you just called us tonight?" Dean asked.

"No, I called you yesterday, and I didn't get here until Thursday myself."

She noticed Dean's eyes drifting down and pulled her jacket tighter around her chest. He noticed and smirked. Sam noticed, too, and frowned.

"To stay on topic," He began, gaining the attention of both of them. "How do you know it's a hell hound?"

"Typical behavior."

"Except for the whole

Not 'going after you' thing. " Dean cut in.

"Why do you think I've been sifting through all these books? I haven't slept since Thursday night, or eaten for that matter."

"Oh, so you're trying to work yourself into fatigue?" Dean asked. "There's a bed and breakfast across the street. "

"You know how I am when I'm on a case, Dean, don't treat it like it's something now."

"He's right, Alyssa," Sam said, and the certain softness in his tone told her he was trying not to piss her off. It was enough to make her smile. "You need fuel."

"I'm fine."

"You're not. Go eat something, or sleep/ do you have a motel room yet?"

She looked a little sheepish, knowing Dean would only freak out more from there. "No."

She was right.

"Alyssa, you can't just go for forty-eight hours without sleeping or eating! We're at the place right there-  
He pointed across the street-"In room eleven. Ask for an adjoining room and go to bed."

"I'm fine, Dean. Not even tired."

"Bullshit. So I have to make Sam go with you, or even worse, do it myself?"

"Neither, because I'm fine and I'm not going."

"I will carry you." He threatened getting genuinely mad at her. She was going to work herself to the point of making a mistake, and that was going to get her hurt, or worse.

"I don't care."

Without a word, he stood up. She stared at him.

"You're not serious." She said.

"I am." He growled. "Stand up."

"I'm not going to help you drag me away. "

"Suit yourself," He responded. He bent over and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder like one would carry a heavy bag of cement. But cement doesn't often struggle.

"Dean Winchester, put me down!" She protested, smacking him every chance she could. He only kept a hold on her through pure brute force, and because she was in fact, drained.

"Not a chance."

"Goddamnit, Dean!" They had left the library and were starting across the street. "I'm fine!"

"You're exhausted." He responded readjusting. She flailed harder for a moment, managing to reach over and smack him upside the head.

"Watch where you're putting your hands!" She demanded.

He smirked, and tightened his grip. "When I have to force you to go to bed like this , I have every right."

"You have _no_ right and as soon as you put me down I am going to punch you. Right in your pretty boy face. And possibly your nuts."

"I look forward to it." He paused to open the door to his room. She almost wrestled out of his grasp, but he caught her and carried her in, slamming the door behind him with his foot and throwing her forcefully down onto one of the beds.

She sat up angrily. "I'm a big girl, Dean. I can handle myself, and I know my limits." She tried to get up as he turned off the light, but he put one hand on her chest and pushed her back down. True to her word, she caught the side of his face with a hard punch, and then another for good measure before she shifted her focus lower, but before she could do any damage, Dean grabbed her wrist.

He brought his free hand up to his mouth. "This is the kind of thanks I get for looking out for you? Can't wait to see what you do when I ignore you."

She tried to get up again, and he decided he'd had enough. He leapt on top of her, tackling her to the bed, in such a way he was straddling her; his hands pinning her wrists to the bed.

"You're not leaving this room until I say so. " He told her, "And so help me God, I will drug you if that's what it takes to get you to just sleep."

She glared at him, "Dean, I'm not a child!"

"Then why are you acting like one? You're acting like a tired little girl who doesn't want to go to bed yet." He growled.

This statement caught in her mind. She hated letting time slip by, but whenever she normally did this, she had the Winchesters by her side from the first moments of the case.

Dean smirked triumphantly when he felt her relax and look away. He stood and looked down at her.

"Are you going to get some shut eye?"

She nodded slowly, "Yeah..." She glared up at him again."But you better wake me up in four hours."

He shrugged as he stepped over to the door, "Sure, cupcake. Whatever you say."

"Dean, four hours. If you don't wake me it'll be too late for me to help you."

"Fine, but since you're pissed with me, I'll send Sam over with food."

Alyssa nodded and laid back. Dean waited until she closed her eyes to open the door and leave, locking her in from the outside.


	2. Chapter 2

**(AN: Hey guys, like I said, this is already pre-written, so the updates will happen pretty often. At least once of not twice a day... Unless I get the job that I so desperately need, so please, while I'm sitting here, going out of my mind with boredom, read, review, like, and favorite. Maybe that'll help me from going completely stir crazy.)**

Chapter 2

Back in the library Sam rifled through the files trying to find a reason why the hell hound would be avoiding Alyssa. He knew how they could see it, but seeing the beast would be hard if the couldn't find it.

He heard the door open and close just before Dean sat in front of him.

"Find anything?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that we didn't already know about hellhounds, and nothing that would explain why it would avoid Alyssa."

Dean shook his head."Well, she's locked in our room sleeping. You're gonna have to go over there in four hours to wake her up. Bring food with you."

Sam frowned. "Why can't you do it?"

Dean rubbed his jaw, making Sam notice the red marks on each side.

"She's slightly pissed at me right now." He muttered and picked up a file. "What's this?"

Sam shrugged. "I haven't gotten there yet."

Dean read through the first page and shook his head. "It says here that the only thing a hell hound will avoid is a supernatural being that is stronger than it... Unless that being is a demon, in that case it will act like a normal dog... an attack dog, and obey that demon."

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "So, she's stronger than a hellhound, but she's not a demon? What does that make her? An angel?"

"If she was an angel she wouldn't need food or sleep."

"She doesn't think she needs food or sleep." Sam muttered as he shook his head. "Then what is she? Why would it avoid her if she was human?"

"I don't know, Sam. If I knew, I wouldn't look so confused."

Over the next few hours, the argument continued and little progress was made.

Sam sighed and glanced at his watch. "We've got an hour before I've got wake her up."

"Go get some food. I'll stay here."

Sam nodded and got up. "Call me if you find a better explanation for what's going on."

"Dude, just go. You don't want to keep something more powerful than a hellhound waiting."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Just give me the keys to the impala so I can leave."

Dean pulled the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to his brother, who caught them with ease before walking away/

Sam knew it wouldn't take and hour to get food, but he went and picked up a few different burgers and drinks along with a few orders of fries. Enough for him and Dean too, once Alyssa was awake.

He was back at the motel with forty-five minutes left before he was supposed to wake Alyssa up, so he slung his computer bag over his shoulder and grabbed the food. He opened the door carefully and set the fast food bag on the table once he was inside.

He sat on the couch and opened his computer on his lap. It wasn't long before he was lost in his research, trying to find a valid reason the hell hound was avoiding Alyssa.

Two hours past in the blink of an eye before he was snapped out of research mode by Alyssa, who kicked his feet off of the coffee table.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?"

Sam blinked a few times and rubbed the back of his neck as he set his laptop aside.

"Sorry." He yawned. "I got back here when you still had forty-five minutes left. I must have lost track of time."

She rolled her eyes. "At least you brought food."

"That I did. I'm not completely useless." He said. She grinned.

"Not _completely_." She agreed, opening two of the bags and grabbing some food. "Find anything?"

"Not yet. Well, nothing important. What did you find?"

"Everything is important. What did you find?"

"Only the usual hell hound lore, you know. That they listen to demons. Stuff like that."

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "And?"

"And what?"

"Six hours and that's all you found? There's something you're not telling me."

"It's not important."

"If it isn't important then you would tell me when I asked." She crossed her arms. "Tell me."

He sighed. "Fine. We found that the only reason a hell hound avoids something is because it knows that the thing It's avoiding is stronger that it can handle."

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're not who- or what- we think you are. Got anything you'd like to share?"

She shook her head. "I'm human... I think I'm human... I mean, holy water, silver, salt, and all the usual stuff doesn't affect me."

"What about holy fire?"

"I don't know! How am I supposed to answer that?"

He sighed. "Sorry, we just need to know why this thing is running from you. Any power you have could be dangerous if we don't know about it."

"You're one to talk about dangerous powers, Sam." She said, the slightest bit annoyed. She could never stay mad at Sam long, and that in itself annoyed her. (Dean was a whole different story.)

He looked down at his hands. "Sorry, Ali, we just need to figure this out. I know that having powers can be dangerous and the power can be addictive." His voice was heavy with guilt as he spoke.

"Well, so far, I don't have any powers. And don't call me 'Ali'."

"I always call you 'Ali'."

She frowned. "Well, don't call me 'Ali' around, Dean."

Sam smirked. "Sure thing, Ali. Whatever you say.

Just as he finished speaking, Dean walked in.

"Ali?"

"I'm still mad at you." She said in hope of distracting him. It worked.

"You're mad at me for looking out for you, but when Sam lets you oversleep, you don't do more than push his feet off the coffee table?"

"Sam didn't use my lack of sleep as an excuse to grope me!"

Dean frowned. "I didn't grope you. I made you get some sleep. That's it."

"Oh that's why you put your hands where you did. I asked that you move, and you said, 'I have every right'! And Sam would never pin me to the bed like that!"

Silence.

Sam looked between the two and burst out laughing.

"Shut up, Sam!" They yelled together, only making Sam laugh harder.

Alyssa shook her head and playfully punched his shoulder. She didn't see the look Dean gave her as he noticed this, or even that he noticed.

"Why don't you punch me like that?" He asked setting aside what he had just witnessed for future reference.

"When I punch you, it's because I'm pissed at you." She responded. "When I punch Sam, I'm only slightly irritated."

"Nice to know I'm loved." Dean quipped. Sam had recovered by then and shook his head at the two of them.

"Or something like that." He responded teasingly.

Almost for the first time, Alyssa noticed what time it was.

"Guys?" She asked, interrupting their bitch/jerk brotherly banter. "What about the hell hound? Has it attacked anyone? Do you know where it is?"

After a hesitation so small it didn't register, Dean shook his head. " I looked at the list of victims and couldn't find any connection other than that they live in town."

Alyssa frowned. "Did you talk to the families of the victims?"

"Only three out of the four. The last one is out of town for the funeral service."

"You should've looked harder." She said, starting towards the door. "How much of the time did you spend flirting with the young librarian while you were over there?"

"Alyssa, I know there are lives on the line. I wouldn't- "

"Bullshit. I'm going to find the damn hellhound before it kills someone else."

With that, she was gone, leaving Dean fuming and Sam wishing that Ali and his brother weren't so _difficult_ with each other.

"Well, don't just stand there, go after her!" Dean practically shouted at him.

"Guess I'm going, too." He muttered, turning on his heel and following Ali, though he knew she wouldn't appreciate that Dean had sent him.

She was already unlocking the door to her car, a 1970 Challenger, by the time he reached the door.

"I'm coming with you." He told her, doing his best to leave no room for argument.

She caught the finality on his tone- one he didn't use with her that often and nodded, getting in the car. He sat in the passenger seat, letting her fume her way to calm in silence and marveling at the fact that she was so quick to agree with him going along.

After a moment, the silence became deafening.

"He didn't do it on purpose." Sam said finally.

"Are you sure about that? Because I honestly don't think so."

"I'm sure, he just wants you to be safe."

"I don't _need_ protection!"

"I know, and he knows, too, but that's not going to keep us from trying."

Alyssa sighed. "It should."

"Why? You'd take a hit for either of us in a heartbeat. Why aren't we allowed to look out for you too?"

"Because I'm supposed to be the strong one. Sam!" She practically shouted, slamming one hand against the steering wheel. "I'm supposed to look out for everyone else, no matter what!"

"Ali, that's ridiculous! What do you mean you have to be the strong one? No one gave you that job."

"Shut up."

"Ali-"

"Sam, you don't know what you're talking about. Shut up."

"You're damn right I don't understand. What the hell is going on? _Why_ do you have to be the strong one, exactly? You say I don't understand, Ali, so explain it to me."

"I made a promise okay? I promised that I would keep you, dean, and everyone else safe."

"Who did you promise?" Sam asked, watching her too intently to realize that they had veered into oncoming traffic.

"It doesn't matter."

"Ali, was it a deal? Is that why you're acting like this?"

"Acting like what, exactly? Is it really so bad for me to want you to be safe?"

"Is it bad for _us_ to want _you_ to be safe?" He shot back.

Suddenly, a car horn blared and they realized what was going on outside the car. In the nick of time, Ali yanked the car over to the right lane, ignoring the obscenities the driver threw at her.

"Ali, pull over." Sam said, and she listened. After all, she didn't want him to het hurt. When the car came to a complete stop, he got out, walked around the front of the car, and opened her door. When he reached over her to undo her seatbelt, she didn't protest. She didn't know what he was doing, but she didn't like fighting like this. Especially not with Sam.

He pulled her out of the car and held her in place, his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her as if she would disappear forever if he so much as blinked.

"Alyssa." He said, and in that moment, she realized exactly how much she loved it when he used his nickname for her. So much so, in fact, that it almost physically hurt that he didn't use it now, but that might have been his tone. "What happened? What did you do?"

Those four words sounded accusatory, and she didn't like it at all. ' _what did you do?'._ What had she done? Had she done anything wrong?

She couldn't find the problem in making a promise to her father and theirs that she'd keep them safe no matter what.

A flare of anger reared and caught hold in her mind three little words.

How _dare_ he?

"I made a promise." She repeated, trying to control her anger.

How dare he think she would make a deal.

"With who?"

How _dare_ he accuse her of this.

Sam could see that Alyssa was getting angry. He hated to do this, but he had to be sure whatever she had done wasn't connected to the hellhound.

"Ali?" He said, and her anger softened with his tone. "I don't mean to piss you off here, but if it has something to do with why the hell hound won't go near you then you need to know."

She searched his eyes for a moment, but one glance told all.

 _How dare he be so damn sincere._

The last of her anger dipped under the surface (she really couldn't stay mad at him long) and she sighed.

"It was my father's dying wish and the last thing your father ever said to me. Both of them made me promise on my life that I would keep you safe. You and your brother meant more to my father than his only daughter. You know what the last thing he ever said was?"

Sam didn't ask, fearing that it would be what he suspected.

"He said, 'don't mess it up this time', why do you think I try so damn hard?"

"Oh, Ali." Sam murmured. He pulled her into a hug, finally understanding.

She hated the fact that she was so comfortable in his arms. She was supposed to be protecting him; he wasn't supposed to be comforting her.

She pulled away from him, her face directed toward the ground so that he couldn't see the flush on her cheeks.

"We should probably get back soon. We'll need Dean's help and It'll be dark soon..."

Sam nodded, thinking she was still upset. And she was, but not at him.

"But I'll drive." He said, earning himself a small smile.

She nodded, keeping her head down. "That would probably be best."

They got back in the car and turned around, starting back toward the motel.

They pulled up to the motel and they heard an agitated growl.

Sam cursed and started rifling through his jacket. Seconds later, he pulled two pairs of lens free frames from his pocket. He held one pair out to her.

"Put these on."

She didn't argue, instead putting the glasses on without hesitation.

She saw the blurred form of a dog circling around her and Sam. She noticed it's gaze was fixed on Sam. He was going to be the fifth victim if she didn't do something.

So she did.


	3. Chapter 3

**(AN: I'm not sure if this will make it out June 17th, because this chapter is extremely long. The last two chapters were about six or seven pages handwritten... this one is twenty pages, so I hope you enjoy.)**

Chapter 3

The hound jumped on Sam's chest, sending him over backwards onto the asphalt as it sank In't jaws into Sam's right arm.

Before she knew what she was doing, Ali had tackled the hound off of Sam. It was only after she had done so that she realized she had no way to kill the beast.

She was astride the transparent form of the struggling monster.

It clawes her arm, leaving a set of four six inch gashes. She growled at the dog. It whimpered in response and stopped thrashing.

She frowned and stared at it as she pulled her phone from her pocket. She dialed quickly and held the phone to her ear. "Dean, come outside, please- and bring the knife... And a first aid kit might not be a bad idea either..."

He didn't respond, but he came out of his motel room seconds later. He jogged to her and handed her the blade.

"Is it there?"

She nodded. "I don't know how I did it..." She shook her head. "Just go help Sam."

He nodded and walked over to where Sam was laying unconscious as she plunged the blade into the hell hound's heart.

She got up slowly and shakily. She steadied herself and wiped the blade off on her jeans calmly as id in a dream state. The sound of Sam's groans snapped her back to reality.

She had to help him.

She turned, ran to his side, and dropped to her knees.

Sam had two sets of four parallel gouges going down each side of his chest as well as the deep bite into his arm.

Ali cursed under her breath and dug through the kit that Dean had brought out.

"We've got to get these cleaned and sewn up." She muttered to herself as she tried to do everything at once.

Dean put a hand on her shoulder. "We have to get him inside, and then we can get him patched up."

"I have to help him!"

"You will." Dean said calmly. "But first we have to het him inside first."

She clenched her jaw, but nodded and got up.

"Alright... Help me get him up."

Dean lifted Sam up gently and Ali draped Sam's other arm over her shoulder to help Dean get him inside.

They put him down on the bed that Ali had been sleeping on.

"Dean, go get clean bandages... Lots of them... I'll try to stop the bleeding and clean the wounds." She spoke hurriedly as she cut off what was left of Sam's shirt and moved to attend to Sam as best she could. "And, if you could grab my bag for me I can stitch them closed."

Dean nodded, and did as she asked. He grabbed her bag and set it next to her. He also grabbed the keys to the Impala and went outside to get the bandages.

By the time he got back inside the bite on Sam's arm was clean and stitched together.

Ali held out her hand for the bandages, which Dean gave to her without hesitation.

Within minutes she had bound the wound and started on the claw marks. Her hands moved quickly and deftly so that in no time both sets of claw marks were clean and sewn shut. They just needed to be bandaged.

Dean shook his head. "Your little lover boy is going to be just fine."

Ali frowned, "Little lover boy?" She asked as she propped Sam against the wall so that she could wrap the gauze around his ribcage.

"Okay, maybe not so little." He smirked. "But you're definitely holding a torch for my brother."

She rolled her eyes. "What? That makes absolutely no sense, Dean."

"Of course it does. If it was me that had gotten attacked back there I would be puppy chow... and if I wasn't, you wouldn't have patched me up so carefully. You would have had Sam stitch me back together piece by piece."

"That's just because you're an ass who purposely pisses me off and then sends his little brother over to clean up his messes so that you can keep one of the best allies you have. One of the only allies you have, and you know it."

"Yeah. And all that also explains why sending him after you worked so well, or why you let him call you 'Ali' without knocking him out so fast that I couldn't catch him before he hit the ground."

"That doesn't mean anything, Dean. It just means that I get along better with Sam. And, the only _reason_ I get along with his is because you're just an overgrown child. And a bratty one, at that."

He laughed. "Whatever you say, _Ali_."

She glared at him as she finished Sam's bandages."Look, if you need me, I'll be in the adjoining room, but if you don't need me by morning I'm out of here. I've got another possible case out west."

Dean frowned. "A case already?"

"Of course, I keep track of more than one case at a time. I don't like down time very much."

"Come on, Alyssa. Why don't you take a day off and come with Sam and I? We could go do one of Sam's favorite things."

"What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow. "What do you like to do?"

Dean smiled, "We just drive out to the middle of nowhere and sit on the hood of the Impala. Let the silence flow as we watch the stars."

"That sounds a bit sentimental for you, Dean."

"That's why it's Sam's favorite thing to do. Not mine." He smirked.

"I'd ask you what your favorite thing to do was, but I already have an idea of what it might be, and I feel like if you said it out loud I'd have to punch you again."

He smiled. "And your assumption would be correct."

She rolled her eyes. "And that's why I don't get along with you." She walked towards the door. Dean stopped her.

"You never gave me a real answer."

Ali sighed. "Fine, I'll go, but I'm taking my own car."

He shrugged. "Fine, but if you and Sam start spooning I'm ditching you both."

"Well it's a good thing that I don't want to spoon with, Sam." She said with a smirk as she walked out.

The door closed with a bang and Sam opened his eyes with a groan.

"Why are you two talking about spooning with me? Is there something you need to tell me, Dean? Have you been on those Supernatural fan sites again? Or have you been reading Becky's fanfiction, because you know we're brothers... Right?"

"Dude, no. I'm not the one that wants to spoon with you. Ali is."

Sam shook his head. "Ali? No..." He tried to sit up but groaned in pain. "What the hell happened to me?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Ali saved your ass, that's what."

"How?"

"I don't know... But she was sitting on the damn thing by the time I got out there. It didn't move... not even when she took the blade from me."

"That's weird."He said with a frown. "What is she?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, Sammy, but she's weird... So she's basically your type."

"She is not my type."

"Sammy boy, she's almost as tall as I am, ling blonde hair, fiery, and on top of that a supernatural weirdo? She is your type on legs."

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock on the adjoining door. Ali walked in moments after and looked between the two of them.

"Am I interrupting a personal thing here? Should I come back after the make out session?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Ali, we're brothers... Brothers."

She smiled. "I know, I just like the look on Dean's face whenever he gets called gay."

Dean glared at her. "I'm taking back my invitation."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Invitation?"

"Yeah." Ali nodded. "Dean invited me to go stargazing once you're healed up."

"Well, if Dean's uninvited you, then I'm inviting you again." Sam laughed and smirked at Dean who just rolled his eyes.

Sam glanced at Ali. _Dean was right. She was his type. She was definitely attractive, and she was smart, strong, funny._ He took a second glance and frowned.

He got up slowly and walked up to her. He took her right arm gently in his grasp so that he could see the wound on her arm.

"What is this?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

She pulled away from him. "I'm fine, Sam. I'll take care of it in a little while."

"No you won't. I know you well enough to know when you're lying. If you don't let me take care of it now, you're never going to take care of it."

"I'm not lying."

Dean smirked. "Well you're definitely not fooling anyone."

"I'll take care of it." She muttered, but it was too late. Sam was already prepping the kit.

She rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed in defeat. She let Sam clean her wound with only the occasional wince or clench of the jaw, Sam didn't move as quickly as she had. He was more careful, and infinitely more gentle, but still, the wound was clean in a matter of minutes. Sam pulled a paste out of the kit.

"This will numb the wound so that I can stitch it."

"I don't need stitches. Just bandage it so that I can get back to my room and go to sleep."

Sam sent her a pleading grin. "Please? If you let me give you just a few stitches it'll make me feel better. I'll be sure that it'll heal properly."

It was almost impossible for her to tell him no. Not when he used that voice. Or when he turned that little half smile against her. She felt a smile breaking across her liks so she looked down and nodded.

"Fine, Sam... Twenty stitches. Five for each claw mark. That should be more than enough."

"Of course." He said, smiling triumphantly.

She rolled her eyes and looked away as he waved the needle over a lighter. She balled her fists as she felt the needle work it's way into her skin. She could tell that Sam was trying to be gently, but she just wished she would hurry.

Dean watched the two of them and smirked. Before Sam could finish, he cleared his throat.

"Well, you two must be hungry after wrestling a hellhound. I know I'm hungry and I just watched."

He walked toward the door. "I'll be back in an hour or so with some food... So you two have some fun while I'm gone."

Ali raised an eyebrow."He's shoving a needle through my skin repeatedly. If that's your definition of 'fun' we're definitely going to be having tons of it."

Dean shrugged and left.

Sam shook his head. "Sorry about him. My brother isn't a complete jackass,but he is a total jerk."

He finished the stitches with a tight knot and cut the thread.

"At least you're aware." She said, turning her arm to examine the stitching. Neat, clean, and precise, it told her that he hadn't been as... _Emotionally compromised_ as she had.

He smirked. "Kind of hard not to be, honestly."

She exhaled- not quite a sigh, but almost- and leaned back until she was lying on the bed, her legs dangling off the mattress at the knees.

"I know." She said.

"You hungry?" Sam asked, standing slowly.

"I supposed that's the word for it." She responded. Her stomach was rumbling, but at the same time sort of tight. Her heart was beating a little fast too, but she figured that was just from the adrenalyn. "But Dean said-" Before she could finish, something landed on her chest. She sat up quickly, almost knocking it to the floor before she realized it was one of the bags of food from earlier.

Sam chuckled at her reaction, earning a playful glare.

"Come watch a movie with me." He said, patting the couch seat next to him with one hand as he turned on the TV. "We both know Dean won't be back for awhile."

"What movie?" She asked, standing.

"Whatever we can find." He responded as she sat down next to him.

"Okay, but if there's nothing on, I'm going to bed."

"Suit yourself.: He said, beginning to flip through the channels as he dug into a burger of his own.

After a few minutes, they settled on 'Meet the Robinsons' a Disney animated movie they had both seen before. It had provided a nice break from their everyday lives that consisted of the kind of things that were easy to find on the big screen.

After the second or third Tom Selleck joke, Ali started to drift off. She didn't want to move, however, because she was comfortable and sometime earlier Sam had gotten a blanket and it was warm. But at the same time, she didn't want to deal with all the crap Dean would give them if they fell asleep together...

She made it through the end of the movie (barely) and stood up. Glancing at Sam, she realized him to be asleep, the blanket sliding off his chest with every breath. It was only then that she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, and a sort of jolt hit her in the stomach. She bit her lip. She couldn't just let him get cold. He needed to sleep because he was healing, and if he woke up he wouldn't go back to sleep. That's just how he was- he would have to come check on her.

She stepped towards him hesitantly and quietly, trying not to wake him up. She shifted the blanket back up over his shoulders, letting her fingers trail over his bare skin. She shivered. She hadn't realized how cold the room was when she wasn't under the protective cover of the blanket. Once she had left it's warmth she had gone cold again, and her fingers felt like ice against his warm skin. His warmth almost tempted her into getting back under the blanket, but the thought of proving Dean right made her step away from Sam.

She looked down at him and resisted the urge to kiss him on the cheek before she turned and walked through the adjoining door, back to her room, and flopped down on her bed.

Ten minutes later, Dean walked into her room.

"Ring. Ring. Dinner bell, sweetheart."

She groaned, her eyes closed. "We're not going to start that 'sweetheart' crap again are we?"

"Well, considering you're not in there wrapped around my brother, I'd say yes."

"What? Why?"

"Because, if he had a chance, I was going to back off, but since he was alone, asleep, with his pants still on, I'd say he doesn't."

Great. Now she'd have Dean going after her. She was beginning to wish she had stayed with sam.

He smirked. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"I knew that you would get that look of regret on your face if I started hitting on you again. Especially when you thought you could prevent it."

She frowned. "Shut up.'

His smirk widened. "Only if you admit you have a thing for Sam."

"What are you, and elementary schooler?"

"You're not answering me."

She rolled over. "Go away."

"Still avoiding admitting it, even though we both know It's true."

"Dean. Go away. You're the one who wanted me to sleep in the first place, remember?"

"Just admit it and I'll let you sleep."

"No."

"No, you don't have a thing for Sam, or no, you're still in denial."

"Neither."

"So you _do_ have a thing for Sam?"

"Go away!"

"No. Not until you answer me."

Before Dena could blink, Ali was standing in front of him. Had grabbed his face with both hands, and pressed her lips against him.

When they broke apart, he smirked.

"I know that trick, sweetheart, and It's not going to work."

She raised an eyebrow. "What trick?" She asked innocently.

"You're trying to pull a 'Star Wars' on me." He responded, grinning cockily.

"Never seen the movies." She shrugged and stepped away from him.

"Bullshit. Everyone's seen those movies. "

"Whatever." She shrugged. "I don't like Sam. Not like that anyway."

Dean laughed- an actual, full out _laugh._ It startled her.

"What are you laughing for?" She frowned. "You're going ot wake Sam."

This only set him off more, until she smacked the backside of his head so that he toned it back to snickering.

"Could you be more childish?" She asked.

'I'm not the one with a crush who refuses to admit it." He shot back.

She shook her head. "Whatever. Now, it's almost one am, and I want to sleep."

"We can't always get what we want, sweetheart." He said with a smirk as he emphasized the 'sweetheart' purely to annoy her.

"Fine, she said and walked into the boys' room. "I'll sleep in here then."

She closed the door, locking it and the other door as well, since she knew Dean had left his room key in here.

She glanced at Sam- still asleep on the couch- and smiled. There was a small grin playing across his lips in the dim light, and for once, the looked genuinely happy. She wondered what he was dreaming about and found herself inching closer to him.

"Stop that." She murmured aloud to herself, and she froze when it made Sam stir. He only readjusted himself however, and settled back into sleep.

She breathed a small sigh of relief, and turned to the bed she had been on earlier. She knew that if Dean really wanted to, he could get in, but he probably wouldn't.

That in mind, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

 **(AN: I was right, this chapter did not make it out on June 17, but since It's so long I'm not letting myself feel bad. So read, follow?favorite, and review so that I don't get bored of typing this out... I won't but you know, I still want to hear from you guys anyway.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(AN: Hey guys, sorry I didn't post yesterday. I'm a jerk, but here's a chapter. This one's short, so hopefully I can get another chapter up later today.)**

Chapter 4

Two weeks passed. Ali was still with the Winchesters (damn Sam and his stupid irresistible smile) and they were up against a shapeshifter who was picking off people of wildlife tours.

Alyssa and Sam were on the tour now, Dean waiting at the spot the victims were taken to.

They figured they were either see the next be taken, or be taken themselves.

The tour was long and slow- every few yards someone would stop for a picture.

After awhile, Alyssa stopped. "Sam, we already passed the point where the others went missing, and everyone's still here. Let's cut through and meet with Dean."

Reluctantly, Sam nodded. "Alright."

She led him through the woods to the clearing Dean was supposed to be waiting at.

Suddenly, Sam had a knife to his neck and a sinking feeling in his heart.

The person he'd thought was Alyssa wasn't a person at all, but the shifter. The damn thing had him trapped.

"Works every time." The shifter laughed in Alyssa's voice. "If you want to see your brother alive, then walk."

The knife moved from his throat to his back, the tip digging into the skin, but not enough to draw blood.

So, he walked. The shifter took him to a cave, where Dean was out cold while tied to a chair, and Alyssa was lying on the ground, conscious and free to move, but she didn't.

"Dean! Ali!" Sam shouted, starting forward, but the shifter grabbed his arm.

"Stay right where you are." It said, still in Ali's voice, her form. The tone it chose was not one of menace, but something sweet and usually reserved for times when Dean told her she needed to use her 'feminine wiles'. Like when she hustled pool.

Sam found himself hating that tone more than ever before. He never did enjoy watching her throw herself at other men, even if she was robbing them blind in the end.

The sound of Sam's voice had roused Ali, and she forced herself to sit up. The damn shifter had tricked her here in Dean;s form, and had been splitting the last two days between torturing her, and pretending to be her around the Winchesters.

They were going to die because of her.

"Sam," She rasped- She was two days low on water. "Kill it."

"I've got a partner." The shifter warned, walking around so it was between Sam and the other two. "And if you kill me, he'll kill them."

It turned to look at Alyssa, who was crawling towards them (her legs had both been broken at the knees) at what was probably a pathetic excuse for full speed.

"Oh, and Ali, Dear. "It said, and she wished it was dead more than ever, "This is for what you did to that poor hellhound."

With that, it drove a knife into Sam's torso, twisting it to ensure fatality. It laughed, her own damn laugh, as she screamed, almost doubling her speed despite the pain to reach him as he fell to the ground.

"Sam!" She cried, almost in a panic. She couldn't help him here. "Sam!"

"Ali," He managed. Both his hands were on the knife -it had gone straight through his heart. He had seconds at most.

Ali could hear the shifter behind her. She knew she was next to go. She closed her eyes as the blade struck home.


	5. Chapter 5

**(AN: So, definitely not going to be able to get this chapter out the 19th. This is the longest chapter yet, so I hope you guys enjoy it whenever it does get out.)**

And they snapped open again. She sat bolt upright, breathing hard, as she took in her surroundings.

Then, it all made sense.

 _A dream. It was all a dream._

"Are you okay, Ali?" Sam asked from the couch, his voice full of concern. He half-rose before she answered.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream is all."

Sam frowned. "Bad like how?"

"Bad like you and Dean dying." She responded, too tired to sugarcoat it. Sam was too persistent for that, anyway.

His frown deepened as he walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. It explained why she had said his name...

She resisted the urge to throw herself into his arms just to prove to herself that he was there. It wasn't necessary. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't real." He assured her. She closed her eyes and nodded/

"I know. I know... It just... caught me off guard, I guess. Wasn't ready for it."

It was the first nightmare she'd had in weeks, but it wasn't unusual. Ever since Sam and Dean had gone to Hell itself, she'd been having them. Never the same one twice, but the boys always died in front of her. And it was always her fault.

Dean didn't know about it. Sam had found out last year, when she had been driven to near hysteria by one.

 _It was dark and she was crying. She didn't cry. It just didn't happen._

But here she was, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fought to control herself before she woke Sam. Or worse, Dean.

Too late

Alyssa?" Sam's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Ali, what's wrong?"

"Go back to sleep, Sam." She managed, without sounding too upset.

She heard him get up and start walking towards her.

"Alyssa," He repeated. "Tell me."

He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.

"Bad dream is all." She shrugged.

"About what?"

"You, Dean, and Zach."

Sam's grip on her hand tightened comfortingly. He knew all about Zach.

He was her younger brother, by three years. They were a traveling team, not unlike Sam and Dean, but he had been killed by a demon with a grudge. He father never forgave her for that.

"Tell me about it?" Sam asked.

"You died. All three of you. And I couldn't do anything about it."

"Ali..." Sam pulled her into his lap and hugged her. "It was just a dream. I'm still here. Dean's still here."

"Zach's not here... And you went to hell." She cut in. "Both of you dies and went to hell, and I was just so damn _helpless,_ and-"

"Hey, hey, hey,' Sam interrupted softly. "That's all over now. We're okay."

"Sam, you lost your soul."

"I got it back."

"But there was that time when you weren't... You, and it was all my fault."

He kissed her forehead, like a big brother would for his little sister.

"It's okay." He murmured quietly. He repeated the words for most of the night, until she fell asleep in his arms and he laid her back to sleep.

It was the most vulnerable he had ever seen her. The most vulnerable she had ever left herself be around anyone.

So this? This was nothing.

"I'm fine, Sam." She said after a moment. "Thanks."

"You sure?" He said with a small smile. "I mean, it's already five A.M.. We could just get up now."

"You need sleep, mister." She said and poked the center of his chest, away from the claw marks. "You're all cut to pieces."

"I'll be fine." He let his hand slip off her shoulder and fall onto the bed. "I've been sleeping all night."

"So sleep some more. It won't hurt you."

"I'll only sleep if you do." He responded with a smirk.

She shook her head and frowned at him. "Sam"

"Ali."

Suddenly, the adjoining door opened, and someone entered. The light flicked on the reveal the librarian from earlier wearing one of Dean's t-shirts, and probably nothing else.

"This isn't the bathroom." She said, though she didn't look embarrassed at all. With that, she closed the door, leaving Ali and Sam, alone and not at all surprised.

"Let's just get up." Sam decided, standing. "Breakfast?"

"What kind? Because I don't want cold burgers and fries for three meals in a row."

"There's a fridge, you know. I'm willing to bet if you open it, it's got eggs in it."

"How about I drive down to the Wal-Mart I saw and buy some real food. Like hash browns and ham steak? Then we can eat."

"I'll come with." Sam agreed, pulling on a shirt.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We need to stock up on some beer for that stargazing trip, anyway, and we might as well get the good stuff for once."

"Like I'm not old enough to buy beer?"

"Like I want to go to the store with you." He responded, scribbling a note for Dean.

"You'll have to wait a bit, then." She said. "Because I am covered in blood, sweat, and hellhound... Whatever, and I'm taking a shower."

"That's fine."

He tried his best not to watch as she grabbed clothes and a towel, instead focusing on the TV, which was still playing Indiana Jones.

She got out a few minutes later and looked so much better- there was no longer blood streaking her hair, and her clothes were clean, She tossed a towel at him.

"You're turn."

He didn't argue, instead he just grabbed some different jeans and complied.

He got out and they left, looking more or less like normal people, but each with a near identical bandage of their right arms.

"So what, exactly are we getting?" Sam asked after they were on their way.

"Well, I checked out the fridge and there were no eggs, so those, hashbrowns, some sort of meat product, be it bacon, sausage of ham steaks, and stuff for pancakes or waffles."

He grinned. "We might as well just go to a restaurant."

"At five-thirty in the morning? Good luck with that. Besides, I haven't cooked in ages and no one makes pancakes like I do."

"What's so special about your pancakes?" He asked.

"You'll find out when you eat them." She chuckled as they pulled into the parking lot."

"Promise?"

"Naturally."

They entered the store and Sam grabbed a cart. He followed Ali as she counted off what they would need as she looked up at the ceiling out of habit.

Sam caught himself staring and smiled at his own silliness. What was he thinking?On any other girl, it would have been cute, but Ali was off the table. She had always been off the table, and he didn't expect that to change anytime soon.

Ali noticed him smiling and poked him,

"What are your grinning about?" She asked.

"Nothing." He responded as quickly as possible. She gave him a suspicious look, but didn't push it.

They got most of the things they needed before reaching the dairy section. Suddenly, Ali stopped dead, and Sam almost ran into her.

"What?" Sam asked, sounding slightly concerned.

She didn't answer for a moment, but when she did, her voice was soft, but urgent.

"Sam, we are getting some yogurt. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Sam chuckled. "We can get yogurt." He said with a smile. She was already standing in front of the Tillamook section, picking out all kinds of the stuff.

"So, what's so special about yogurt?" Sam asked as they moved along.

"It's my one guilty pleasure. Fire some girls It's chocolate. Others, sex. For me? Yogurt."

"Wait, so you're saying you'd take yogurt over sex?" Sam chuckled. "Don't ever let Dean figure that out- he'd give you hell."

"He won't know what we don't tell him." She responded with a smirk.

"Fair enough."

They walked on, until Ali rounded a corner and came right back, stopping Sam with a start.

"What is it now? Another guilty pleasure?" He teased.

"Close your eyes."

"What why?"

Her shoulders dropped the tiniest bit, and he knew she was about to turn her little half-smile on him. The one he couldn't say no to. It was almost the same one he used on her.

"Sammy, don't you trust me?"

He was startled. It wasn't often that she called him 'Sammy'.

"Of course I do, I just-"

"then close your eyes."

And there it was- that infernal little grin of hers. He'd do anything short of murder for that grin, and she knew it.

He closed his eyes. A moment later, he felt Ali's hand under his chin, pulling it down a few inches. His heart sped up a little. She wouldn't...

"Now open your mouth."

"Ali, what-"

"Sam, just do it."

He did, and she placed something on his tongue. Soon after, the sweet, juicy flavor of strawberries spread through his mouth and he snapped his jaw shut.

"Mmm... Those are good strawberries."

"I knew you'd like them."

"We should get some... Can we get some?"

"Sure, I'll put them in the pancakes."

They rounded the corner together and Sam saw the little stand being set up for the strawberry samples.

Two boxes later, they were on their way to the frozen foods section. Halfway there, an old woman stopped them.

"You two are a very cute couple." She said with a soft smile.

The two hunters glanced at each other.

"Oh, we're not-" Ali started.

"Oh nonsense. I haven't seen something as sweet as that since my daughter's wedding. If you two aren't dating, why are you-" She gestured to Ali." Feeding him strawberries in the middle of a store?"

Satisfied that she had proved her point, she moved on, leaving them both a but confused and in thought.

"Why _did_ you feed me the strawberry like that?" Sam asked after a minute. Ali busied herself getting the hash browns so he wouldn't see her blush.

"I wanted to give you a pleasant surprise." She shrugged, still avoiding eye contact." I know you don't get many of those."

He broke into a grin. It was adorable the way she ducked her head like that sometimes, as if he didn't know what she was doing. ':it's nice to know I can count on you to make sure my day is just that much better." He teased. She shook her head, grinning too, and poked him. (It would have been a punch, but he was injured, and so was her throwing arm.)

Just before they reached the checkout, Ali realized that they had forgotten the beer and dashed off to get it. When she got back, she found a very uncomfortable-looking Sam talking to a very flirtatious cashier.

In fact, he looked so uncomfortable, that she took pity on him.

"I got your beer, hun." She said, coming up and shamelessly interrupting the cashier as she set the cases down.

Sam instantly realized what she was doing and was eternally grateful.

"What would I do without you, Ali?" He asked playfully and he pulled her into a one armed hug.

"I think you'd lose your head, but lucky for you, you'll never have to find out." She responded as she leaned into him before turning to the cashier. "We got engaged last month." She said with a slight giggle as she held out her hand to display the beautiful silver ring that glittered on her ring finger.

She had hoped that would deter the cashier, but the girl, who was a hopeless romantic, kerely leaned forward.

"Really? Tell me about it."

"Oh, it was wonderful." Ali said breathlessly as she made up her story. "He took me stargazing after the most romantic candlelight dinner."

With every word, Sam's cheeks flushed a shade darker, so Ali kept going.

"We were there for hours- so long that I fell asleep in his arms, like something out of a Catherine Coulter novel."

The cashier, a girl named Macy, let out a little 'oh'.

"I know! Anyway, he accidentally woke me up when he moved to pull the box out of his pocket."

"I thought she was still asleep." Sam pitched in quietly, and all of a sudden, the story was that much more believable. "I was trying to gather the courage to actually ask her."

By this point, another cashier had joined them and was listening as well.

"But I opened my eyes and saw the ring. Sammy panicked and tried to shove the ring back into his pocket- you should have seen how he blushed!"

He was well on his way to what she was describing now, actually, with how quickly his cheeks were reddening. He directed his grin to the floor in hopes of keeping them from noticing.

"Well I kissed him and he pulled me into his lap and he said-"

"Alyssa Rosemary Fenton," Sam interrupted. "Will you marry me it that much better to Macy, who was practically to the point of squealing.

Ali stared up at him, and he stared right back.

"I said yes, of course." She said after she ended the stare to look back at the cashiers. "And later, when I asked why he hadn't just asked me he told me he was too nervous."

"Isn't that just the most romantic thing you ever heard?" Macy asked contentedly. The other, Janice (or so it said on her nametag) nodded.

"Indeed it is. You two are the perfect couple."

They both smiled warm smiles (they were good at those- lots of practice). Sam bent down to kiss Ali on the cheek- what kind of couple would they be if there wasn't some sort of kiss? (They both got way into their roles sometimes.) But, Ali turned her head at the last second, having not seen him coming, and their lips met.

It was a quick, chaste meeting of the lips, hardly even qualified as a kiss, but that didn't dull the fact that Sam tasted like strawberries, and that Ali's lips were so soft and that they had just _kissed._

This time, they both turned bright red.

"We, uh, we haven't really told anyone yet." Ali covered. "We live in the next town over... I guess we're not used to kissing in public so close to home."

 _Or Dean. Or kissing in general._

Macy grinned wider (they were just so cute) and rang them up. They left, and the instant they were in the car, Sam turned to Ali.

"I didn't mean to-" He began, but she cut him off.

"I know, San, it's fine. Just, let's not tell Dean, okay?"

"He won't know what we don't tell him." He said with a nod as he parroted her words from earlier. Normally, she'd smile, but her heart was pounding and she had just kissed her best friend and he tasted like strawberries. _Strawberries!_ It was so cliché it seemed it could only be real.

They rode the rest of the way back to the motel in silence, but Sam was sure that Ali could hear his heart practically beating out of his chest the whole time.

He hadn't mean to actually kiss her... And it was so wrong, but it definitely didn't feel that way and he wanted to kiss her again, just to see if it was a fluke that was doing this to him, making his movements stiff and clumsy and the only thing he could think of were Ali's lips and, and _oh, my God,_ but she tasted like vanilla and her lips were so damn soft and he was rambling, wasn't he?

He found himself sneaking glances at her in the rearview mirror, always looking away in time to never catch her glancing back at him.

The car ride seemed to take twice as long and when they got back and got everything inside, Sam sat at the TV while Ali moved around the kitchen, neother saying a word, both utterly confused and embarrassed.

"Sam, will you come watch the hashbrowns?" Ali asked finally. "I have to do the pancakes."

"Sure."

"Don't burn them." She warned, handing him a spatula. (Unlike some, this motel had it's own dishes for use.) 

"I won't" He responded, grinning at her over protectiveness. She saw his grin and frowned.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"You said that last time. This time, I want an answer. A real answer."

"Just... You." He said after a moment.

"Me? What about me?"

It took Sam a moment to settle on what to tell her.

"Everything, I guess. Just you in general."

"Me in general?" She repeated.

He nodded. "You just... Amuse me."

"I gathered that, but how? Can I have a specific example."

"Just now, you being all over protective of the hash browns."

"I want breakfast to be perfect. It's the first time I've cooked in ages."

"I know, and It's making me smile. You're making me smile."

"Is that something I do often?"

"When you're around, yeah, I guess." Sam watched as Ali flipped two of the pancakes with a little flourish that added to his grin.

He could feel the tension between them dissolving, and thank God for that.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal dean, who stepping in looking very self-satisfied.

"You two have fun while I was away?" He asked. They exchanged glances.

"If shopping and sleeping count as fun, then yeah." Ali said.

"That's _all_ that happened?" Dean asked skeptically as he raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty much." Sam shrugged.

:Then what happens if I do _this?"_ Dean asked. On 'this', he pushed Sam into Alyssa; his hand skidded on the counter until it came into contact with a knife. He felt the knife slice into his skin, but he didn't feel the pain as he fell. Alyssa tried to catch him, but he was too heavy. He landed hard with Alyssa on top of him, but she jumped back up immediately.

"What the hell, Dean?"

Dean was staring at Sam, who was sitting up to examine his hand. "Dude, you have got to work on your balance."

"Yeah, that's the issue here." Sam quipped. There was a linear cut running across his left palm, and the damn thing _hurt._

Ali glared at Dean. "What the hell?"

"Just proving my point." He shrugged.

Sam held his hand close to his chest. "Proving it by slicing my hand open?"

Ali's eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

He clenched his jaw but nodded. "Get Dean to watch the hash browns , and make sure the pancakes are okay."

"Screw breakfast." She said, rolling her eyes. "Let me look at your hand."

Sam shook his head. "No, I can deal with it. Besides." He shrugged. "I still want to try those pancakes."

She sighed and shook her head. "Fine, but you're letting me take a look at it after breakfast." She turned to glower at Dean. "You get to watch the hash browns now."

Dean shrugged and watched the two of them. They were pretty casual... but they were hiding something. They stood just a little too close, there was just a little too much concern in Ali's tone, and there was a whole lot more than just overprotective worry in Ali's expression. Her eyes were just too focused on Sam. They might deny it, but he could see it clear as day.

Sam looked at his brother before he went to the living room and started working on his hand as Ali turned her attention back to the pancakes.

She glanced at Dean from the corner of her eye. "Those hash browns are done." She muttered.

He nodded and took the pan off the burner. He clicked the burner off and turned towards her.

"What now?"

"Cut the strawberries."

He sighed. "Ali, I-"

She cut him off. "My name is Alyssa."

"Alyssa, what is going on?" He whispered so that Sam couldn't hear.

"I'm making breakfast." She shrugged.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You obviously have a thing for Sam, and he obviously has a thing for you. Why the hell aren't you two acting on it?"

"Because this 'thing' that you see is just a figment of your imagination. Wishful thinking."

"Bullshit."

:No, Dean. It's not."

"Yes it is. I know both of you too well for either of you to try and lie to me." He said, his voice still low.

She glare at him."He's my best friend... One of my only friends. I don't want to screw that up with sex."

"Sex makes everything better!" Dean said.

"No, it doesn't!" Alyssa hissed. "I am not talking to you about this."

He shook his head. "Look, I know that you and Sam aren't like me. You two get emotional. You get was too attached too quickly, but you deserve to be happy... At least for a little while."

"Sex isn't necessarily happiness, Dean."

"Sex isn't the only thing that I'm talking about."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked from across the room.

Dean looked over at him. "The librarian." He shrugged.

Sam gave him a look. "Why exactly?"

"She was curious."

Ali punched him. "I'm not the one who brought up the topic, Dean, that was all you."

"You-"

"I don't want to talk about this!" Ali said loudly. "Breakfast is done."

Ali had cooked up quite a feast- eggs, bacon, hash browns, and of course, strawberry pancakes. All of which were gone within minutes. Unfortunately, Ali was unable to enjoy the meal, do to every strawberry-filled bite reminding her of Sam.

Sam...

He looked across the table at her and smiled. "These pancakes are really good."

His words snapped her back to reality.

She shook her head to clear it. "Thanks. My mom used to make them whenever we had a couple of days in between cases."

"Were they always strawberry?"

She shook her head. "Hardly ever... Never, actually... My mom was allergic to strawberries."

Sam nodded. He had met Ali's mom once. Back before he had been allowed to go on hunts, his dad and Dean had dropped him off with her. She was nice, and she had made him feel at home. But he hadn't gotten to meet Ali. _She_ had been allowed to go on hunts. He remembered how much that had pissed him off.

He looked back at her. "I liked your mom. She was an amazing woman."

Ali nodded. "She was." She said as she got up and took their dishes away.

"Dean, _you_ get to clean the dishes, since you decided that you would be an ass and slice your brother's hand open."

Dean shook his head. "Whatever."

Ali grabbed the kit and pulled a chair up next to Sam. "Hand, please."

He placed his hand, palm up, in her lap. "Just be gently." He said teasingly. "I'm fragile."

She rolled her eyes and focused on unwrapping the loose bandage that Sam had put on it so that she didn't have to look at that amazing little half-smile that she enjoyed so much.

She felt Sam's light breath on her cheek as he watched her work.

"So... You mom... Wisty right?"

She nodded, but didn't look up. "Wisteria... Her parents were major hippies... Before they were killed by werewolves... That's how she became a hunter actually... Hunting down the pack that killed them is how she met my father... And... A few years after my brother was born... How she was killed."

Sam went to hug her, but he remembered the kiss and he **stopped** himself. He looked down at his wounded hand and sighed. He put his other hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Ali. I didn't know any of that."

"Of course you didn't, Sam. Hardly anybody does..."

"Well, Ali, you're not alone, you know that right? I... Dean and I will always be there for you."

She didn't say anything. She just nodded and finished rebandaging Sam's hand. Then, she got up. "If you need me I'll be in my room." She turned towards the door, but Sam stepped to the side so that he was in front of her.

"Sam, I'm tired."

"Well, we're leaving soon. If you still refuse to ride in the Impala with us, then I'll drive your car while you sleep in the back."

His tone was quiet and soft but final. There was no arguing with him, so she nodded.

"Okay, but I still need to go pack."

He nodded and stepped aside to let her get to her room.

Sam packed as Dean finished cleaning the dishes. By the time they got outside, Ali was already in the backseat of her car, asleep.

Sam loaded their bags and grabbed Ali's keys from inside her room before he started following Dean.

 **(AN: Super long chapter. I know it wasn't in one day, but I'm okay with that. I just hope you enjoy this chapter in all it's fluffy goodness. Especially after that cliffhanger last chapter. So, read, review, follow/favorite. Anything to let me** _TheTrickster'sFavoriteIllusion,_ **and my fabulous co-author,** _Amelia-Williams-Pond,_ **that you love us... Or that you just love this story, or even if you just like us. Let us know.)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ali woke up just before dark and looked around

Sam had just stopped the car in front of a beautiful lake surrounded by wildflowers and tall grass. There was a dock stretching out to the middle of the lake.

Sam looked back at her and smiled. "Hey, you. You've been asleep for hours. How do you feel? No nightmares, right?"

She nodded and stared at the lake. "Why are we here?"

"This place is perfect for stargazing? Dean and I stopped awhile back and decided that we wanted to go swimming."

"Well, I'll just sit on the dock and watch the stars..."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"I don't have a swimsuit... Or anything clean to change into."

He nodded. "Okay, Dean and I will change, and you can set up some blankets on the dock... If you want to that is."

She smiled as they climbed out of the car. She pulled a few blankets out of the trunk as Sam and Dean left to go change.

They came back a few minutes later in swim trunks. Dean ran off the dock and jumped in immediately, but Sam just sat with his feet hanging into the water. Ali sat down next to him.

"Why aren't you jumping in, Sam?"

He gestured down at the bandages that were still wrapped around his torso. "Might not be the best of plans... Not when most of the wounds are still leaking if I move the wrong way."

She chuckled. "Fair enough." She looked around. "Hey, where's -"

Before she could finish her question she was dragged down into the water. She screamed before her head went under. Dean surfaced a few seconds later, laughing.

Sam glared at him. "What the hell, Dean?... Where's Ali?" He asked as he realized she still hadn't surfaced.

Dean shrugged. "She'll be up any second."

Sam started to search the water when he saw a bubble popping on the surface. His eyes widened and he dove into the water.

Dean rolled his eyes and pulled himself onto the dock as Sam surfaced with Ali unconscious in his arms. He dragged her to the dock and pushed her out of the water before he pulled himself up next to her. He put his fingers on her neck. He let out a breath. _Thank God_. She still had a pulse.

He bent down to give her mouth to mouth, but before he could, she coughed. Water spilled from her mouth and she coughed some more. Sam glared at Dean.

"What the hell happened!"

"Nothing! I just pulled her in. She should have surfaced!"

"Well she didn't!"

"She's fine!"

"How the hell can you say that? She almost drowned!"

He rolled his eyes. "She'll be fine."

"Dean, if you're going to be an ass you can leave!"

"What?"

"You heard me. Leave!"

"Fine! I'll leave you alone with your damned girlfriend."

Sam glares at his brother as he stormed towards the Impala.

"Oh, and I'm taking the beer with me!" Dean yelled over his shoulder as he grabbed one of the six packs. He climbed into the Impala and slammed the door before he sped away.

Sam kneeled down next to Ali and pushed the wet hair out of her face.

"Ali, don't you dare die on me." He muttered.

She coughed and groaned before she opened her eyes. "Oh come on, Moose. I'm not going to die. That's a Winchester thing."

Sam grinned and gathered her into his arms, squeezing her tight.

"Exactly, and it's your thing to save my sorry ass. I don't like this whole role-reversal thing."

She tried to laugh but cough instead. Sam held her tighter and patted her back. He felt her shiver and cursed under his breath."

"Hold on, I'll get you some dry clothes to wear."

She looked up at him. "I thought Dean left with the Impala."

"My stuff is in your car." He shrugged and jogged over to her car.

He opened the trunk and pulled a long sleeved flannel shirt, and a pair of sweatpants out of his duffel. He jogged back over to her.

"Here, these are going to be huge on you, but they should be warm."

She nodded. "Help he to the car and then turn away."

He did as she asked and put an arm around her shoulders as he helped her over to the car. He opened the back door for her and then turned away once she was inside.

Sam looked up at the sky and sighed. It was going to rain, that much he could tell. It was going to rain, that much he could tell. He gathered the blankets from off the dock and was careful to keep his eyes from wandering to the window of the car.

Ali opened the door and got out. "You can look now, Sam."

He looked over at her. He had been right- his clothes were too big on her, but they still looked good on her. He smiled slightly and she raised an eyebrow.

"What is that look for?"

He smiled. "Nothing, just laughing about how you look like you're swimming in my clothes."

She shook her head. "Whatever. We just need to get out of here unless you want to get rained on."

He nodded. "One problem, Dean has the extra gas can and we don't have enough gas left to get anywhere."

She sighed. "So we either stay here, or get stranded in the middle of nowhere?"

He chuckled sheepishly."Basically."

She shook her head and grabbed one of the blankets from him. "The front seat is mine since I'm smaller." She looked him over. "But first, I'm changing those bandages. They're soaking."

"Fine, you grab the kit." He nodded." I'll be waiting in the back seat, taking off the bandages."

Ali nodded and opened the trunk as Sam got in. After she grabbed the kit, Ali got in next to Sam. He had been right. Swimming had been a bad idea. The wounds were soaked and the skin was shriveled from the moisture.

"Sam, I'm just going to clean he gouges . I'm not going to bandage them until morning."

He looked down at her as she went to work. As she cleaned each slash carefully, a thought popped up into his mind.

"Ali?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Dean was being an ass, but he wasn't trying to drown you. Why did you almost drown?"

She stopped working and looked up at him. "No reason, Sam. I just don't like water."

He frowned. "You used to love water. You were an amazing swimmer."

"I just don't like water, Sam."

"Ali, what happened?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "My dad was killed in the water." She looked down. "It was our day off. The first one that my dad had let us have since my brother died. He took me to a lake just like this one, and I was sitting on the dock with my feet in the water... "She swallowed hard. "I got pulled in. It was a water demon. My... My dad dived in and saved me. He got me out of harms way and exorcized the thing, but not before it ripped his torso open. He died saving me. Today was a lot like that day. Dean pulled me under and I just panicked. I blacked out." She went quiet and started working on cleaning Sam's wounds again.

He stopped her and made her look at him. "I'm so sorry, Ali;;; I didn't know. If I had I would never had made you go anywhere near that lake."

She nodded and pulled away from him. "I'm fine..." She opened the door and got out. "Stay in here. I'll grab some clothes for you."

"I only have one clean pair of jeans left. They're in the top of my duffle."

"What about shirts?"

He smiled slightly. "You're wearing my last clean one."

She shook her head. "Of course I am."

Sam waited for her to throw his jean to him. He changed quickly and opened the door.

"You can come in now." He shivered. "You better hurry, Ali. It's going to start raining soon."

Ali nodded and climbed in the front seat. She closed the door behind her just as the first drops fell.

Sam stretched over the backseat as Ali rocked the passenger's seat all the way back. Sam shifted so that he was sitting mostly upright against the driver's side door, so that Ali's head wasn't so close to his bare stomach. The thought of her falling asleep with her head on his chest made his heart beat just a little too fast. Plus, a few stray hairs had been tickling him.

"Goodnight, Sam." Ali said, her voice breaking the silence the silence that the pattering of the rain had bred.

Sam nodded and yawned. "Yeah, goodnight, Ali."

After only a few minutes, both of them were asleep. Sam had one blanket wrapped around his legs while Ali was curled up in the other blanket.

In the morning, Sam woke first. He looked down at himself and noticed one major thing. Both he and Ali had shifted in their sleep. He had slouched down so that one foot was shoved under the passenger's seat while the other was draped over the seat itself. Ali had shifted towards him. One of her hands had tangled into his hair, while the other was resting against his right thigh. But the major thing he noticed was Ali's head. It had come to rest against his hip. His heart skipped a beat. He should wake her up. It was morning, and it had stopped raining. He could call Dean. He probably hadn't gotten that for and could be back to them in only a little while. She just looked so peaceful, and he was comfortable. He didn't want to move at all. Not unless she woke up, but he wasn't about to wake her. Sam closed his eyes and tried to slow the rapid beating of his heart.

Half an hour later, Ali opened her eyes slowly. Sam had fallen back to sleep, and Ali's eyes widened as she realized how they two of the were laying. She relaxed when she remembered that Sam was still asleep. He did look happy. A little smile played along his lips as he slept. She wondered what he was dreaming about. There was a twinge in her chest as she realized that she hoped he was dreaming about her. She felt another twinge when she remembered what dean had said. He had said that Sam liked her. _No._ She scolded herself. That wasn't an option. She couldn't protect Sam properly if she was too emotional. Even if she could, Dean was most likely just messing with her. She couldn't get attached. Emotion made her reckless... It got people killed.

Sam shifted and opened his eyes. He smiled down at her sleepily. "Hey, Ali. Good morning."

She untangled her fingers from his hair and sat up. "Hey, Sam. Good morning."

He rubbed his eyes. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long." She shrugged. "How'd you sleep?"

"I woke up about half an hour ago, I think, but you looked so peaceful so I didn't want to wake you up. I guess I must have fallen back to sleep... But other than that I slept great."

She frowned. "Wait... You let me just sleep like that?"

He shrugged. "Why not? You'd had a rough day and you finally looked comfortable."

She smiled slightly."Well, I think it's time to call Dean. We need to get out of here."

Sam nodded. "I'll call Dean." He glanced down at the wounds n his side." I think you can take the stitches out and bandage these while I talk."

"It might be a bit early to take out the stitches, but I can definitely rebandage them."

Sam nodded. "Fine, I think I can deal with that."

She smile and pulled the kit out from under that seat where she had stored it the night before as Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Dean.

Just as Dean answered Ali made Sam lift his elbows so that she could wrap his torso.

'What do you want, Sam?"

"Dean, you not only took the beer, you took the gas can too."

"Yeah, I know. Is Ali okay?"

"She's fine..." Sam was going to say more, but Ali brushed her fingers against his abs as she unrolled the gauze. He chuckled. "That tickles." He said, forgetting that he was talking to Dean on the phone.

"What tickles? Is she there with you?" Sam could tell that Dean was smirking.

"Shut up, Dean. "It's your fault that she has to rebandage me anyway."

"But it tickles." Dean laughed.

"Oh bite me, Dean." "I know you'd like to bite her."

"Dean, just shut up and get your ass down here. We need gas so we can leave."

"Fine, I'm just a couple of towns over. I'll be there in about an hour or so. Of course, that depends on whether or not I want to stop of breakfast first. Did you and Ali want anything?"

"Just bring food and get over here."

"Fine, just hold your horses. I'll be there in an hour."

"Good. Just hurry."

"Why? Not having fun being tickled?"

Sam rolled his eyes and hung up. "Dean's an ass." He mutterd.

Ali smiled slightly. "I thought we knew this already."

"We did, he's just content making even more of an ass of himself than normal."

"What did he do this time?"

"He's Dean. Does it really matter?"

"Depends. What did he say?"

"Nothing. He's just insisting that we can't be friends... Or... Can't be _just_ friends."

She rolled her eyes. "And that's how you know that it's really Dean." She said this casually, but she felt a tightness in her chest. She knew it, he didn't have feelings for her... Not romantic ones anyway.

As she though this, Sam felt the same tightness. _How could she make jokes?_ Couldn't she see that every word that was said was true... Every word he said about her making him happy, anyway. Seeing her that close to death yesterday had almost thrown him into a panic. It had taken everything in him not to kiss her as soon as he was sure she way okay.

Both of them held an uncomfortable smile until Sam looked away.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "We should finish these bandages and get you back into your clothes before Dean gets here. The last thing we want is for Dean to see is the two of us in the backseat. Me shirtless and you in my clothes. We'd never hear the end of it... Ever."

She nodded. "Yeah.. That's probably best." She agreed as she went back to wrapping Sam's torso. She finished quickly and taped the edge of the gauze down. "I should wrap your arm too."

Sam nodded, but opened the door. "After you get changed. I'll grab your bag from the trunk."

She smiled back. "Yeah... I guess it does." He closed the door and popped the trunk. He grabbed her bag and handed it to her before closing the door and turning away.

A few minutes later Ali stepped out of the car and handed Sam his clothes back. He set the sweatpants on the roof of the car and draped the shirt around his shoulders. He pulled it on and sighed.

 _God damn it. It smelled like her._

It _smelled_ like Ali.

What was he supposed to do with that? With every damn breath his heart skipped a beat and that damn twinge ran through the spot right behind his stomach.

"What?" Ali asked. He snapped to attention, turning to her.

"What?" He asked.

"You look almost... Pained. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Are you sure? Sam, if you're-"

"I said I'm fine."

His voice came out harsher than he intended, and for a split second, she looked almost... Hurt/

"Well, excuse me for looking out for you." She muttered, turning away so she would have time to mask her emotion.

"Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that!" Sam protested, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Then what do you mean?" Ali asked, not turning and letting her voice deadpan.

"I just- I hurt, is all."

She shook her head, turning to look at him. "You don't get snippy with me when you hurt." She countered. "This is something else. Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Sam hesitated. How was he supposed to explain that it was _her? Her_ smell, _her_ presence that was doing this to him? How was he supposed to tell his best friend that he had gone and fallen in love with her?

 _Oh._


	7. Chapter 7

**(** **AN: Hey guys, it's been awhile huh? Sorry, not sorry. It's summer break and I'm visiting my sister. I forget sometimes. Happy belated fourth, and happy birthday to anyone out there reading this because why not? Read, and enjoy. If you really enjoy leave a review, follow, and favorite.)**

Chapter 7

He blinked. Dean had been right. He had fallen in love with her. And, he had just admitted it to himself.

"Sam? Sam!" Alyssa smacked the side of his head and he looked at her, startled, as if he had forgotten she was there. She sighed. "Are you even listening to me?"

He nodded, but she could tell from his expression that he hadn't been. _Of course not._ Few ever did. But she had thought... She had thought he was at least a little bit different.

"Guess mot." She muttered, both to him and to herself.

He looked down at her, his expression filled with pain. "Ali... Please... I can't tell you..."

"Why not?" She demanded. "You never used to keep anything from me."

He winced. "I know, I just can't this time. You'd hate me if I told you."

"Really? What could be so bad that it would make me hate you?"

"Okay, so it wouldn't make you hate me... It would make things... Awkward. You'd avoid me and it would ruin our friendship..."

"What friendship?" She asked coldly. "We're not friends. We're just hunters who needed each other's help."

Sam felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, but his pain turned to anger quickly.

"Just hunters who needed each other's help?" He shook his head. "Because every hunter I've ever worked with has gotten pissed at my brother and run off and let me hold them in my arms to get them to calm down and come back with me. They has so carefully bandaged and rebandanged every wound, brushing their fingers against my skin in a way that drove me crazy. Every hunter I've worked with has fed me strawberries in the middle of a store, and then faked an engagement so that I wouldn't have to deal with a flirty cashier. Or have kissed me just to prove that point. Then go and almost die because my brother's an ass, making me feel a dread so intense it hurt and worn my clothes to stay warm so that when I get them back and put them on, the smell of that other hunter made my chest feel like it was going to implode because it seemed so right." He clenched his jaw and turned away as he saw the Impala. He pulled his bag out of the trunk and nodded. "So yeah, all of that is just stuff that all hunters I've worked with do. You're right. We're just hunters who needed each other's help." He said calmly and coldly before he turned and walked towards the Impala.

She stared after him. "What?"

"Nothing." He shouted over his shoulder. "We're just hunters parting ways after a case."

"Wait! Sam! Samuel Winchester you get your ass back here and explain yourself!"

He ignored her and got in the Impala. After a moment, they were gone and she was alone with nothing but anger and confusion for company. What had he said? Key phrases stuck out.

 _Brushed their fingers across my skin in a way that drove me crazy._

 _Making me feel a dread so intense it hurt._

 _Made my chest feel like it was going to implode because it felt so right._

He didn't... He _couldn't..._ Could he?

She sighed in frustrated defeat. Honestly, she should've seen it coming. They always left, sooner or later. Anyone she ever became remotely close to, or attached to, left.

She should've seen it coming.

 _Stupid._

She went to the still open trunk of her car and grabbed the mini-cooler that lived there, tossing the lid aside and grabbing one of her yogurts. After producing a spoon, she took a bite and froze.

 _Strawberry._

 _Sam._

Before she could register what she had done, the yogurt had been flung away from her, glopping on the ground in wet splashes of rainwater and strawberry-flavored chunks.

So... She couldn't eat strawberries without thinking about him. Great.

She slammed the trunk shut and got in. Great... They had left without filling up her tank. She'd have to either call them back, or try to at least make it to the next town... But she had slept on the way out here, She had no idea how far away that could be. She sighed. Walking was better than having to see Sam again. There was no need to cause herself anymore pain. She started her car and glanced at the gas gage. The needle hovered just above the big, red 'E'. Hopefully that was enough to get her close enough to town so that she could walk the rest of the way there.

She pulled out on to the dirt road that she assumed lead to the highway. She got a call and answered it before checking the number.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Dean kicked me out of the Impala." Sam's voice said from the other side of the line.

"What does that have to do with me?" She asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Dean waited for a spot where he knew you would be to kick me out... Thing is, he made me take the gas can. "

"So he expects me to give you a ride because you have the gas? Very funny."

"Yeah, but I know you're going to run out of gas soon, and since I see your car coming onto the highway now, you might as well stop and fill up. You don't have to do anything for me."

She was silent for a moment. "Fine, but I'm not going to talk to you once I stop."

"I don't care. We're just a couple of hunters helping each other out remember?" Something in his voice made the point just behind her stomach twist.

"Sam..."

"Ali, no. I have legs. I can walk."

"You're wounded."

"Someone bandaged the wounds for me. I'll be fine."

She hung up as she saw him on the side of the road. She stomped down on the gas and pulled over in front of him. She got out and crossed her arms.

"Samuel Winchester, you are not walking all the way to town."

He rolled his eyes. "Why do you even care?"

"Because I promised I would take care of you. That's why."

"Bullshit, Ali. Taking care of me would have ended after the hellhound was dead. Anyone else would have let Dean piece me back together and then left."

"Well any other hunter wouldn't have just let me sleep with my fingers tangled in their hair, my head on their hip, and my other hand on their thigh."

"A lot of men would let you sleep like that. Especially when you look like you do."

"And how do I look exactly?"

Sam shook his head and looked away. "It's not important. Just forget I ever said anything."

"How do I look, Sam?"

He shook his head and looked away.

"Sam. Tell me."

"Beautiful, okay?" He snapped." Are you happy now? You're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and strong, and don't even get me started on how ridiculously good you smell. I didn't even know it was possible for someone who had been dragged down into a lake to still smell so good. My shirt still smells like you and I hate how much I love it. There there's the fact that you have done absolutely everything for me. If I went away unhappy from one of your visits it was my own fault." He shook his head. "But I guess none of that really mattered. Not a single minute of it because we're just a couple of hunters who needed help."

He had been rambling so he stopped himself, but his tone was not as forceful as he had hoped. It had petered off into a sad whisper instead of the defiant tone he had hoped for.

The sadness in his voice twisted her stomach again and she hated him for It. She grabbed the gas can to keep herself from smacking him. She opened the gas cap and started to fill her car. When she was almost done she glanced at him.

"You're an ass."

"What?"

"You're an ass, now get in before I change my mind and leave you here."

Sam walked over to the passenger side door. He hesitated and turned towards her. "See, this is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew I didn't have a chance. Not with the most amazing woman on the planet." He said as he got in and slammed the door behind him.

Ali swallowed hard and closed the gas cap. She trew the empty gas can in the trunk. She bit her lip then threw open her mini-cooler and grabbed a yogurt. She slammed the trunk closed and took a deep breath. Sam thought she was a beautiful. He thought she was funny, and smart, and strong.

 _The most amazing woman on the planet._

No. She couldn't get attached. He would leave again. They always left her. Sam was no different. She had to hold onto that fact. She opened the door and got in. Sam didn't look at her, he just stared at his hands. He looked so disappointed. She couldn't just act like she had never cared. She had.

"Look, Sam... You always had a chance... but... You just left me back there."

He looked up from his hands, a hopeful smile played across his lips. "Really?..." He stopped and looked away. "But I left you there and I blew it... Didn't I?"

"Kinda... But give it a while... I'm sure you'll do something to make up for it... But Sam?"

"Yeah, Ali?"

"I'm not the most amazing women on the planet... And I don't smell that good."

Sam smiled weakly. "Yes you are... And yes... You do." On an impulse, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Ali's eyes went wide. "Woah, woah, woah, down boy."

Sam smiled wide and pushed his hair out of his face. "Sorry. I just had to. Especially since I get the feeling I won't get that chance again." He said as he grabbed her yogurt and opened it.

"Hey!" She protested.

Sam grinned. "I'll buy you some more, but I'm hungry... and wounded, remember?"

"Oh don't play that card, Samuel Winchester, or I will kick you out and make you walk."

He sighed. "Fine, but I will buy you more yogurt. I promise."

"Good." She muttered, forcing herself not to smile.

Sam looked around until he found a spoon. He went to take the first bite but paused. "Dean's waiting in the first town. A little motel called the Starfire I think."

She nodded and sped up. "Before we go we're stopping at a store for yogurt."

"Fine, Dean says he'll have pie waiting for us when we get back."

Ali frowned. "When did he take the time to say all that."

"After he kicked me out he texted me." He shrugged and started eating.

Ali stopped outside a small store and glanced at Sam. "Go fetch my yogurt."

He smirked and got out. "As you wish. I'll be right back."

He got out and jogged inside as Ali drove across the street to fill her tank completely. By the time she was done, Sam came out of the store, carrying three bags of single serve yogurt cups.

Ali shook her head. "You didn't have to get that much."

"Of course I did." He chuckled. "It's the least I could do after I was such an ass."

"Just throw it in the cooler so that we can get going." She said, forcing down a laugh. She turned away and a frown flashed across her face as she scolded herself. He was going to leave just like everybody else. She couldn't get attached . He would be gone as soon as he found a new case. She made her face go blank as she got back into the car. Sam finished putting the yogurt away and closed the trunk. He got in and looked over at Ali.

"All ready." He said with a smile as he held a yogurt cup out to her.

She nodded and started driving without a word, completely ignoring the yogurt. She drove them to the motel in a matter of minutes. She got out and glanced at Sam.

"What room?"

Sam shrugged. "Room 114. Dean didn't say anything about getting you a room, but we can straighten that out after pie."

She nodded and knocked on the door of room 114. When Dean opened the door she brushed past him.

"I want pie. Give me pie. Now." She muttered.

He raised an eyebrow as she flopped down on the couch. "Big piece?"

She nodded. "Please."

He nodded. "Coming right up, sweetheart."

She sighed. "Not in the mood right now."

He glanced at her and went quiet as he got her pie. He handed her a plate with almost a third of a pie on it. He held a fork out to her. She grabbed it and took a bite. Strawberry. Why the hell did it have to be a strawberry pie?

Dean looked at her. "You alright?"

She nodded and took another bite. She would have to eat all of this. With each bite making her think more and more of Sam. She frowned and looked around the room.

"Dean, where's Sam?"

Dean shrugged. "I thought you left him on the side of the road."

"No... I brought him back, but he didn't follow me in."

"What happened between the two of you anyway?"

"Nothing happened. And nothing ever will happen, Dean. That's not something that a hunter gets to enjoy."

"What's not?"

"Relaxation... Happiness." She shrugged and took another bite of pie. She chewed slowly and shook her head. "Fuckin' strawberries." She muttered and dropped her fork onto her plate. She set the plate down and got up.

Dean frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I need a room." She muttered and walked towards the door.

Just as she went to open the door, the door swung open and she ended up walking straight into Sam.

She looked down at the carpet. "Where were you?"

He held up a room key. "Getting you a room 127 was the only room with a single king left."

She took the key and nodded. "Thanks, Sam." They stood there awkwardly until Ali looked up. "Sam, I need to get by... You know, so I can get to my room."

He nodded and stepped to the side. "Yeah, sorry."

She brushed past him and went to her car. She grabbed her cooler before she went to her room. She unloaded her yogurt into the fridge and made sure to store every cup of strawberry in the door so that she wouldn't grab one by accident.

She grabbed a few different flavors and a spoon before sitting down on the couch. She curled her knees up to her chest and ate spoonful after spoonful. Why did she care so much? She had promised to protect them, sure, but Sam had been right. If it had simply been that she would have been done with another case by now. Maybe it was better that Sam had shown that he would leave her. These silly emotions had slowed her down anyway. In the morning she could leave, but Sam's words still floated through her mind.

 _Brushed their fingers across my skin in a way that drove me crazy..._

 _Made my chest feel like it was going to implode because it felt so right..._

 _Beautiful, and smart, and funny, and strong..._

 _The most amazing woman on the planet..._

No. She couldn't let a few words get to her. They were just... Such amazing words.

 _Stop it._ She scolded herself mentally. _You can't do this._ She had to leave in the morning.

She looked down at her empty yogurt cup, set it on the table next to her, and grabbed another cup. She tore the foil off the top and started eating again.

She stared at the wall and let her mind go blank while she ate what was left of the flavors she had taken from the fridge. She, she got up to get more when there was a knock on the door. Ignoring the knock, she grabbed another cup. There was another knock and she sighed.

"Do not disturb!" She called.

There was another knock.

She rolled her eyes and answered the door. "No, I do not need any housekeeping, or towels, or anything." She said before the door even opened all the way.

Sam looked up from the ground. He had been rubbing the back of his neck before she had opened the door.

He smiled slightly. "Good, because I didn't bring any cleaning supplies or towels."

She shook her head. "What do you want, Sam?"

He shrugged. "Dean found a new case."

She looked down. "Oh, so you'll be leaving soon, right?"

He frowned. "No... Well yes... But I thought maybe that you would want to come and hunt with us."

She looked up in surprise. "What?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go hunting with us."

She shook her head and opened her mouth to say something but Sam cut her off.

"Look, I know that I screwed everything up. I left you before, but I don't want to do that again." He shrugged. "Plus, you're one of my only friends. My best friend, and I really don't want our friendship to be gone because I'm an idiot."

"Sam, you're not an idiot... Well you are... But so am I. We both said things that were stupid. We're definitely friends. I hate that I said we weren't." She shook her head. "And it bothered... Still does bother me, that I got that cryptic speech down at the lake and never got an explanation, and then, I got another speech on the side of the highway and I never got an explanation for that one either."

Sam sighed. "You really need me to explain? I was trying to be so obvious. I thought what I meant was pretty clear."

"Well it wasn't."

He sighed. "What did you think it meant?"

"I don't know what I think it meant. All I know is I've been yelling at myself. Telling myself that you're just like the others even though I know you're not."

"I'm not like the other what?"

"The other guys with their sweet words and little smirks. My brain tells me you're just like the others... But my heart screams that you're not... You asked me what I thought those speeches meant, Sam. To be honest? I don't know, but I know what I hoped they meant. I hoped they meant that you feel the same thing that I feel for you... And I just... I just don't know." Her voice trailed away as she looked down at her feet.

She heard Sam laugh before she felt him pull her into a hug. He held her close and laughed.

"You're cute when you ramble."

She pushed him away. "That's not an explanation, Sam."

He sighed, giving her a pleading look. "Are you really going to make me say it?"

"It shouldn't be that hard to say." She responded. She hoped... God she hoped. Hoped he would tell her what she hoped he felt for her. Hoped she wasn't just a stupid little girl with a schoolyard crush on a colleague.

He bit his lip. "It's more difficult than you think. I can hardly say it to myself."

"Why?" She asked quietly, trying to keep her voice from cracking. Why couldn't he just spit it out? If he really cared it would be easy... No it wasn't. She couldn't make herself say it, not until he said something... She didn't know what, but something that explained how he felt.

"Just tell me, Sam." She said. She was pleading with him now, desperately hoping.

"I can't." He said softly, and it broke her heart. Something very close to despair flooded through her, but she forced it away.

She kept her chin up and looked him square in the eye. She took a deep breath. "I respectfully decline."

"What?" Sam asked. He was confused now.

"I'm leaving. Just another case that needs to be taken care of. Even friends have to part ways. Especially if they're hunters."

"Ali-"

"My name is Alyssa!" She snapped.

This seemed to surprise him so much that he actually took a small step back.

She pushed past him, leaving her cooler and completely forgetting about the yogurt, and slammed the door behind her. She got into her car and took off, only the tiniest bit disappointed that Sam didn't follow her and mostly glad that she hadn't taken her suitcase in.

She drove and drove until she was two states over and completely exhausted.

Sam, meanwhile, stared after her. He went to follow her, but stopped himself. Obviously, she didn't care about him. She hadn't even let him explain.

"I can't tell you I love you." He whispered aloud to the empty parking space that Ali's car had occupied. "Because every woman I love ends up burned on the ceiling."

Dean had seen Ali's car speeding away and went outside. "Where's she going?"

Sam sighed. "Probably as far away from me as she can get."

"What did you do?"

"I broke her heart... but it's better that way..." His voice was filled will regret and he still hadn't looked away from the road as if hoping to see Ali's car come screaming back down the road.

But it didn't, like he knew it wouldn't.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. Why didn't you tell her?"

"Every woman I tell dies, Dean. What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell her and then work your ass off to keep her safe so that you both can be happy."

"Dean, I- I screwed this up. Big time. She's probably long gone and we might not every seen her again."

"So call her."

Sam tore his eyes away from the road, opened to door to Ali's old room, then gestured towards the table to where a cell phone sat. Ali's cell phone.

"She knows Garth right?"

"Yeah, why?" "She'll contact him. We can ask him to call us when he hears from her."

Sam nodded. "It's a good a plan as anything, I guess."

They called Garth. He promised to tell them if she called, but he never called them afterwards about it.


	8. Chapter 8

**(An: Hey guys. This is the last full chapter of this story. After this chapter, there is going to be a small epilogue, and then I will start typing up the sequel, which I will post under the name 'Madworld'. So enjoy the last full chapter.)**

Chapter 8

They didn't hear from, or about, Ali for two months. It got almost to the point that Sam could forget about her sometimes, and maybe even go a whole day without that damned pang that started in his chest but took him over in a matter of seconds.

Ali, too, was trying to forget. She was doing a considerably better than Sam, however, because while she blamed herself for being stupid enough to fall for him, she also blamed Sam for hurting her (Sam only blamed himself.).

She was working on a case involving a rogue spirit when they ran into her completely by accident.

When they got there, the officer told them another FBI agent was already there, surveying the crime scene.

Sam and Dean shared a glance as they walked onto the scene. Their attention was drawn to the agent kneeling next to a corpse that was covered with a white cloth.

Sam stopped when he recognized her. He watched her silently, trying to control the galloping beat of his heart and the wild churning of his stomach.

Dean frowned. "Sam, we've got work to do. Just bluff your way through it like always. We've got Garth working the phones today."

"Dean... That isn't an agent... That's Ali... Alyssa." I hurt to remember the harsh tone she had turned on him because he couldn't say three stupid little words.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Agent Smith, we've got work to do. You two can have your little reunion fight later."

Sam nodded. "You're right, Agent Jones."

They turned to go and talk to Ali, only to find that she was already standing behind them.

"You agents can move on." She growled as she glared at them. "I've got this handled." Her voice was cold and free of any emotions.

Sam's stomach twisted. "Ali... Alyssa... We can help."

She turned her cold gaze to him and shook her head. "No. No you can't. I don't need your help." She glanced at a nearby officer before looking back at them. "Call the district office and get yourselves reassigned." She controlled her emotions on the surface, but on the inside they heaved and jumbled. She was angry, and upset, and something she couldn't quite identify.

Sam on the other hand looked like he was in physical pain. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. But she couldn't drop her guard. Not again.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You two stow your crap. We're working this case together. Like professionals. You two can go back to ignoring each other. Even though this whole thing is making both of you miserable."

Sam didn't say anything, but Ali rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dean."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever let's just work."

Ali nodded. "Fine, that I can agree with." She turned on her heel and went to talk to the police chief.

Dean shook his head and looked at Sam. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"Because if I said anything it have only pissed her off... More."

"Sam, just man up already."

"Dean, stop it. Let's just get to work." Sam muttered as he did just that.

Dean shook his head and followed Sam. He wished that Sam and Ali would just admit that they wanted each other. Sam's moping had almost gotten them killed a few times in the past couple of weeks alone. If they didn't admit it soon Sam's emotions were going to distract him enough to get them killed.

Ali kept her features calm as she tried to focus on the case, but she couldn't keep her mind from drifting to Sam. Every time she noticed her mind wandering to him she scowled. No. She had spent the last two months putting up her walls. She couldn't just let a few moments a few feet away from him tear down her defenses. She just needed to stay away from him, and she definitely couldn't be _alone_ with him. She scowled again and forced herself to focus.

Sam walked up to her and kneeled. "I've got a lead. Come on. Dean's going to stay here and keep looking. You take your car and I'll take the Impala."

She glanced over at him. "How the hell could you have a lead already?"

He held up a piece of paper with a list of names and phone numbers.

"Head start."

Just then, one of the police officers wandered over.

"Agent Ryan, can I have a word please?" He asked, and Ali couldn't have asked for better timing. She smiled graciously at the man. (Rhodes was it? She thought it was Rhodes.)

They walked away from Sam who looked the tiniest bit confused but walked over to Dean without interfering.

"I know what you are." Rhodes said as soon as they were away from everyone else. They kept walking.

"And what would that be?"

"You're a hunter. So are they. And before you deny it, I've dealt with hunters before- I know one when I see one."

"Oh?"

"My brother was a hunter."

"Congratulations on avoiding the family business."

Rhodes chuckled. "Something like that. I want to know what we're up against."

"I don't know yet."

He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it.

"Let me know when you figure it out." He said handing it out to her. "And if you need anything- access to evidence, lists of victims, anything at all- call me."

She smiled. "I will."

The cops she worked with often approached her to give her their numbers, but none of them ever called her out on being a hunter. Rhodes was... Different.

She hoped that was a good thing.

When she returned, Sam was gone, and so was Dean, so she left to go to her motel room several blocks away. Once she got there, she texted Dean (she still knew their numbers).

 _What lead do you have?_

He responded a moment later.

 _Alyssa?_

She sighed, the tiniest bit frustrated. _Yes._

 _The chick died from spider bites._

She knew that.

 _What about that list of addresses Sam had?_

 _What list?_ Dean responded.

 _He said he had a lead. It was a list of names and addresses._

 _Oh. People that fit the usual pattern the thing takes, but, if it follows it's usual M.O., we should have a couple of Days to figure out how to gank the thing._

She sighed with relief. That meant that she could spare a couple of hours to take a shower and eat something... But she knew she would feel guilty if she didn't work while she ate. Maybe if she called Rhodes they could get dinner and talk about the case.

She smiled at the thought. Rhodes was different. He could actually help... And he knew she was a hunter. No cop had ever called her out like that. She liked it.

Before she could find some reason to convince herself otherwise, she retrieved the scrap of paper from her pocket and dialed.

He answered on the second ring.

"Rhodes."

"Hello. This is Agent Ryan."

There was a brief chuckled on the other end of the line.

"Hello, whatever your real name is."

She rolled her eyes. "Alyssa. Alyssa Fenton."

"Alyssa. What can I do you for?"

"I'm going to dinner, but my mind is focused on the case. Do you want to go with me so that we can discuss?"

"Of course. Did you have anywhere particular in mind?"

"Not really. I've never been here before- I don't know my way around."

"There's a diner on Main Street. You can't miss it."

"What's the name?"

"It's the only diner in town. When do you want to meet?"

She glanced at the clock. She still needed to shower.

"In about an hour." She said finally.

"Great. See you then."

She hung up and sighed, a smile playing across her lips.

An hour later, she walked into the diner, a little place called The Shack, and spotted him at the furthest booth. He was nursing a cup of coffee with his back to her.

She walked up slowly and silently. She tapped him lightly on the back. "Hey." She said as she walked around and sat down in front of him.

He smiled. "Hey, Alyssa"

She tilted her head. "You're the first person to actually call me Alyssa without just assuming that they could call me Ali."

"I find it better to ask... Especially when dealing with hunters. It's not a good idea to piss them off."

She smiled. "You're not going to piss me off. You can call me Ali... I don't mind."

He nodded. "Alright, Ali. I hope you don't mind, but I was hungry so I ordered for both of us. Nothing fancy. Just a couple of burgers... And a bowl of yogurt."

"Yogurt?"

He nodded "A guilty pleasure of mine."

"Would you mind sharing with me?"

He looked surprised. "Not at all. It's huckleberry though."

"Oh, that's fine. So long as it isn't strawberry. I'm not particularly fond of them anymore."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't question her. "Me either."

Just then, the food in question came. They thanked the waitress and set to work. Rhodes produced a thick file and set it on the table.

"That big file for a one day-old death?" She asked before taking a bite of her burger.

"Not one death." He responded, confusing her. "Six. All in the past two months. I think they're connected." He opened the file and set a paper clipped group of papers in front of her.

"Kennedy Greyson, today's victim. Died from several spider bites, but not a single spider was found anywhere near her, or in her home. Allison Morgan, Death by garage door. She was six." He passed another two files over. "Jerry Clark, killed when his own truck ran him over in his garage. He died trying to save his son, Richard. He didn't succeed. Matthew Wexon, skinned alive from what the evidence suggested." Now, he just handed her the whole file.

"That's only five." Ali said, looking through them. She stopped when she saw the last name.

 _Mandy Rhodes._

"Oh," She said softly. "I see."

The resemblance was there alright. Mandy's picture showed a girl in her twenties, with long wavy brown hair and stunning blue eyes. The same blue eyes that complimented Rhodes himself, and the same pale skin, smile, and freckles.

"She was my sister, and she was found dead in the basement of our old house. No viable cause that anyone could find- she was a normal, strong, _healthy,_ girl. She was terrified of that basement- had been since we were kids. Said something was down there..." He trailed off. "I always laughed at her..."

Impulsively, Ali reached out and put her hand over his. He looked up, almost grateful. It was... Different. A man showing his emotions so freely, telling her all this when the file was there and easier.

"So, I looked into it. Kennedy's worst fear was spiders, according to her mother. Allison would hardly ever go through the garage- her brother told me she was scared the door would come down and hurt her. Jerry Clark's son, Richard, had an obsessive fear of being hit by a truck. Matthew ran across some pictures of someone who had been supposedly skinned alive, and had been afraid of the same fate ever since. And they all lived on the same street."

"What street?"

"Maple?"

"You're not serious? That's like Elm Street, but on a slightly lesser scale."

"Monsters on Maple. I know."

"We ought to check it out you know." Ali said softly, almost hesitantly- she didn't want him to think she was completely heartless.

"I know. But let's at least finish eating, okay?"

He offered her a small smile, one that she gratefully returned.

:We can do that, I think." She agreed and they talked while they ate. They talked about things that weren't dead loved ones or emotional triggers.

He told her his first name was Kyle, and about working on the force, and life in town. He was a secret drama buff, he confessed, and often went to the town's small theater to watch the plays they put on there and asked if she'd like to see one with him someday.

She decided in seconds that she would.

When they were eating the yogurt he flung a spoonful onto her cheek and she let out an amused little gasp, retaliating by getting it on his, as well. Now, it slid down his cheek in the strangest of sensations and she laughed, and it seemed like a real laugh (from what he could tell) and he was glad her could provide at l

East a moment of happiness in the life of such an amazing girl. A girl who was to leave him as soon as her job was done. A girl who had been attacked from the inside out and had set up so many walls, she wasn't afraid to let him pass to the innermost ones. A girl who lived the same kind of danger his brother, who had the same basic purpose- to help.

Alyssa Fenton was a girl unlike any other he'd met, and it was a good kind of different. The kind of different a guy could come to fall in love with, and fast. He only hoped she wouldn't break his heart.

She wouldn't. And he wouldn't break hers, either, which was good, because to break someone who's only just pieced herself back together- someone who's been breaking slowly her entire life- is a crime worthy of the same fate.

But now she was smiling at him, and he'd known she was pretty, but this was _beauty_ and it was a shame that in less than an hour they'd have to leave, and she'd go back to not smiling and business mode.

At least he'd have this, this now, because he'd never fallen so hard and so fast and to love a hunter is to love a life of worry and pain.

So he smiled right back and _God,_ but he was handsome and he was slipping right past her defenses and she didn't even care because Dean was right and she deserved to be happy, at least for a little while.

And she was.

And a little while later they were standing at one end of Maple street staring down at each of the houses.

Ali sighed. "I suggest we go door to door and test for EMF. It will be better if we don't get separated."

He nodded. "I'm good with not leaving your side."

She smiled slightly and pulled her EMF meter out of her pocket. They didn't go into any houses, until halfway down the left side of the street, when her meter red-lined in front of the sidewalk of a quaint little house that was painted white with blue shutters. The shrubs looked as if they had just been trimmed and the path was swept. It was the only well-kept house on the street.

Ali glanced at Kyle. "I guess this is our stop."

Kyle nodded and took a step forward and looked back at her. He held his hand out to her, in the hope that she would take it.

She flashed a small smile and took his hand hesitantly. Once she had taken it, she squeezed his fingers gently.

"Kyle... You can't be afraid in here. Not if this thing is here."

He nodded. "I'm not allowed to be afraid of anything. Got it."

They stepped inside the house and Ali let go of Kyle's hand to ready her shotgun.

"Rock salt shells?"

She nodded. "Rock salt and iron shavings."

"Smart. Takes care of ghosts and demons."

"That's the idea, anyway."

She knew he was trying to keep her from being scared, and it was working. The sound of his voice soothed her.

The floorboards creaked in the next room and Ali whirled around, shotgun ready to fire, when she realized it was sam.

He put his hands up in defense. He had a shotgun in one hand and a flashlight in the other.

"Woah, woah, woah. It's just me, please don't shoot me." He said as he lowered his hands slowly.

Ali rolled her eyes and lowered her weapon. "What the hell are you doing here, Sam?"

"Following a lead, remember?"

"Do you know what this thing does?" She asked. "Or did you just rush in?"

"It feeds on fear, uses it to kill." He responded. "I'm not afraid, Alyssa. Why do you think I made Dean wait in the corner?"

"You have fears too, Sam. Everyone does. Clowns?"

"Over it. I'm not even afraid of dying."

"No." She agreed, but she knew what he was afraid of. "But you still have to leave. Now."

"Why? Ali-"

"It's _Alyssa,_ there is one thing you're terrified of."

"Oh?""

"yes, and both you and Dean need to get off this street or you're both going to die."

"Why?"

"Sam, your deepest fear is losing the people you love and my EMF meter dropped to nothing five seconds ago."

Without a word, Sam turned and run out of the house towards the Impala.

Ali was right behind him until he went through the door; then she stopped and slammed it, locking it outside.

"I turned it off." She told Kyle, turning. But he didn't smile. He raised a hand toward her.

"What are you-?"

"Sam was afraid." Rhodes' voice was different. Deeper. Angrier.

"Shit." She muttered.

He laughed. "You know what he's afraid of?"

She shook her head. "He's afraid of losing Dean, right?"

"He's afraid pf getting his heart broken because he allows himself to love someone... Someone he later finds staring down at him from the ceiling, a red stain across her stomach as a drop of blood drops down onto his face. So, I'd get two victims with one fear..."

Her eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"

He laughed so hard that he bent over double. "Why to get him to die of a broken heart while still killing him through fear I'd have to kill someone he loves more than himself... More than Dean."

A tear trailed down her cheek. "Me?"

" Of course you. He just didn't tell you because he wanted to protect you, but not saying anything doesn't mean he doesn't feel that way." He smirked and flicked his wrist, sending her flying into the wall.

Ali screamed and she heard someone pounding against the door. It was Sam. She could tell by the level of desperation and force behind the noise.

The creature laughed and raised his hand slowly, causing Ali to move up the wall and slide onto the ceiling.

A searing pain flashed across her stomach. Ali went to scream, but the thing raised It's hand gain and the sound died in her throat.

Sam continued to pound on the door- he'd heard Ali's scream.

"Alyssa!"

Rhodes- or what _used_ to be Rhodes- surveyed his work. Ali's hair had spread out in a fan across the ceiling, leaving her face clear to show the panic in her features. The white shirt she had worn was also perfect, it showed the blood stain clearly. Yes, this would definitely break Sam's heart and bring to life his worst fear. It would be a lovely feast of fear in just a few moments.

He turned towards the door and let it break open as Sam rammed his shoulder against it. As soon as Sam was inside, it slammed shut again. It was pleasantly surprised when it didn't hear Dean pounding on the door.

"Where's Alyssa?" Sam demanded, running into the room.

It shook it's head. "I don't know. I just heard a scream when I turned away from her. When I turned back she was gone." The thing said in Rhodes' voice.

Sam took a few steps toward him, :What do you mean 'she was gone'? Why weren't you paying attention?"

"She told me to look around!" He yelled. "Where could she have gone? She wasn't afraid of anything, was she?"

"If she was, she wouldn't tell me about it. Not unless it was there now."

"Really? She told me?"

"What?"

"Her greatest fear is to be abandoned. To be left behind, but since you already abandoned her, twice." He smirked. "Once at the lake, and once when you went to save Dean from nothing."

Sam's eyes went wide and he slammed Rhodes against the wall. "Who are you?"

"More like a what, actually."

"Answer the question." Sam growled.

"Alan Porter, the not-so-friendly neighborhood poltergeist."

Sam frowned. "How does a poltergeist terrorize an entire street?"

"By getting his worst nightmare drawn out over a week. My wife was a psychopath. We were married for three years. Every little inconsiderate thing I did, she counted. I didn't put my dirty dishes away? I got home late? I drank too much? She counted it, and on my birthday, she turned me into that many pieces. She got rid of me piece by piece at each of our neighbor's houses whenever she went to ask them if they had seen me, or if they invited her over. I'm scattered all over this street." He smirked."Too much DNA for you and your brother to burn."

Sam glared at him and went for the salt in his pocket when he saw a drop of red splatter onto the back of his hand and run down to his palm.

"No."

"Oh yes, Sammy boy."

Sam's eyes traveled upwards to see Ali staring down at him.

" _Help me,Sam."_ She tried to scream, but when her lips moved, no sound came out. And even though nothing past her lips, Sam knew she was pleading for his help.

:No! Alyssa!" He shouted as the flames started. "Ali!"

The flames circled her body and spread across the ceiling. Her eyes never left his as the fire crept down the walls. He heard the poltergeist laugh, but he didn't dare look away from Ali. Not even as the inferno engulfed him.

Alan stood among the blaze and watched them. They were just like every other set of hunters who came to stop him. That was the thing about hunters. They were always scared. _Always._ He leaned against the wall; a smile dancing across his lips as he heard Sam scream in agony.


	9. Chapter 9

**(AN: Hey guys, you didn't think we would leave you hanging off that cliff for long, did you? Nah. So, here you go.)**

Chapter 9

Sam sat up and rubbed his eyes. _Woah, that was vivid._ Almost like a vision. He shook his head. It wasn't a vision. He could tell- visions haunted him for days after he had them, but this was already fading from his mind.

Marissa... No... Clarissa... Alyssa. That's what her name had been... Or had it? He didn't remember.

While he had been dreaming it had all felt so real, so satisfying, but once he woke up he couldn't even remember what she looked like. He stood up slowly and glanced at dean.

"Dean. Wake up." He said , shaking his brother's shoulder gently.

Dean groaned. "What? What?"

"Do we know a hunter named Alyssa Fenton?"

"You woke me up to ask me about a girl?"

"Dean, just tell me."

Dean sighed. "No, we do not know a hunter named Alyssa Fenton."

He frowned. Had he gotten the name wrong? Maybe the girl's name wasn't... What was her name? Oh yeah, Marissa Alten. No... He didn't remember.

"Dean, what was the name of the girl I just asked you about?"

The elder Winchester sighed. "I don't know, Sam... Just go to sleep. You don't need the name to have a dream about them."

"No, I know, but that's not what I- nevermind."

"What's going on, Sam?" Dean asked as he sat up.

"Nothing, Dean. It was just a dream. A really... Vivid dream."

"About what?"

Sam hesitated before responding slowly. "I... I don't really remember."

"Then what do you remember?"

Sam shook his head and lowered himself back down to the mattress. "I don't know... I remember her car."

"Her car?"

"Yeah, a 1970 Challenger. Midnight blue."

Dean nodded. "At least you have a good taste in dream cars."

Sam rolled his eyes. "There is one other thing. Something happened, and whoever she was and I spent the night in her car."

Dean smirked. "So the windows got all steamy did they?"

"No, actually. She slept in the passenger seat while I slept in the back... But when we woke up... Her hand was on my thigh, and the other was in my hair." He frowned. "And... I think.. I think her head was on my hip."

"That's it? Nothing else you remember?"

"No, Dean." Sam sighed. "Just drop it. It was just a stupid dream. It didn't mean anything."

Even as he said it, he knew he was missing something. But it probably didn't matter.

And someone, somewhere was smiling at the irony of it all; a cruel kind of smirk that suggest there was something bigger at play. The kind of smirk that suggests a game played in the dark, a game of chance, a game who's rules were known only by the dealer, and the dealer's smile was this.

And while all was not well, it was all part of something bigger, and the focus just slipped to something new and all was as usual.


End file.
